A look of lightness and luxury, white-on-white outfits have been severely on-trend for about two years now. When this trend first surfaced, I ignored it despite my adoration, because I figured it was fleeting, and because I assumed someone as pale as myself just couldn’t carry it off.

When I was invited to help organize an event to which all guests are asked to wear white, I was forced to reconsider my relationship with the color. I eased my way into the world of white attire with a standard bodycon dress, and guess what? I looked good. Did I look pale by comparison in photos? Yes. What else is new?—and so what? There’s a difference between colors that accentuate fair skin, and colors that wash it out. If you know how to do your makeup and walk with confidence, you can definitely wear white. Ditch the negative stigmas associated with fair skin, and celebrate the fact that your vampiric tendencies will hopefully help you avoid visible sun damage, or worse, skin cancer.

After that first event, I was really excited to experiment more with white attire, and by the party’s second year, I felt ready for head-to-toe separates (see my white Theory suit here). I enjoyed the all-white, menswear-inspired evening look so much that I decided to put together a daytime version with a jersey tank, loose white denim, and simple black and silver accessories. A pop of color can give you a little more confidence trying an all-white ensemble, whether it’s a brightly colored clutch or bold lip color. Luckily for me, I’ve got a pop of color permanently attached to my scalp.

While I’m pretty sure most of my experience with blue hair will be a practice in modern minimalism and grunge, I of course have to take advantage of the opportunity for zany summer color play. These pink trousers always take me in a fun direction, and my new bold ‘do prompted me to slightly soften my go-to night-out look by ditching my usual fitted crop tops for a breezier, more delicate cut. I love how the top’s flowy hem falls effortlessly in line with the loose-fitting pants for a look that’s comfortable and simply chic. Note to all fashion saucers: the metallic clutch is your friend.

After Bostonians endured the worst of winters, summer’s already halfway over and the weather has the nerve to be…weird. With scattered showers almost every week, I’ve found myself reaching for beanies more often than one expects in July. Lightweight joggers and oversized sweaters that tie easily around the waist are key pieces right now. Animal prints don’t have to be too dressy or ultra-feminine in a sporty context, so try pairing them with your favorite sneakers for a fun, casual look.

I’ve desperately wanted what social media has deemed “mermaid hair” for about five years now. Though I might tear my hair out entirely if one more person asks me “why” I’ve decided to dye it blue (just think really carefully for a second…that’s it! You got it—because I like it…), I am willing to answer a much more important question: why did I wait so long? As someone who adamantly believes that we should all style ourselves for ourselves—and kindly assume that that’s “why” anyone makes the sartorial choices they make—I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I let other people’s opinions postpone this change, even though I knew my desire was real. I dare not compare myself to Caitlyn Jenner, but the message her transformation sends applies to all of us: if you don’t live as your true self, you’ll live with regrets. I’m not saying I’m actually a mermaid on the inside, or that I want blue hair for the rest of my life, but I do believe if I hadn’t seized this opportunity just because a few people I love and respect didn’t love the idea, I’d have lost respect for myself.

In the week leading up to my hair appointment, the most popular question I received besides “why?” was, “Are you worried it will be harder to get dressed?” Well, not really, no. Even blondes and brunettes have to take their coloring into account when choosing clothes. I think because society still associates brightly colored hair with rebellious counter-cultures, people assume that I’ll have to push my always-eclectic style into one specific, radical corner in order to cater to this extreme hairstyle. Challenge accepted! Although I definitely do intend to dip into those more radical styles colorful hair commonly brings to mind, For however long I have blue hair, I’ll also aim to prove to my readers and followers that they can still relate to my style and draw inspiration from my looks, even if a head of blue hair is something they’d never consider. Let’s start with the outfit above. I won’t let anyone tell me it couldn’t be worn by someone with “normal” hair, because I’ve rocked this look as both a blonde and brunette, as well. For a chic daytime look, I’ve styled these sleek but funky pants with menswear-inspired shoes and an oversized tee. To transition to nighttime, I’d swap in a white tank and minimal black sandals, like the fabulous pair I just got at Joie.

Happy Friday! The weekend officially begins in a few hours, so let’s discuss the most important parts of everyone’s weekend: where to eat and what to wear. A few weeks ago I attended a blogger brunch at The Elephant Walk’s new location in the South End, where I enjoyed fresh and decadent Cambodian-fusion flavors. If your brunch experiences have begun to verge on basic, or you’re just tired of your current go-to spot, head to The Elephant Walk to find omlettes with unexpected combinations, a multitude of mimosas ranging from peach to raspberry, and a delightfully expansive daytime dessert menu. The crazy part? The ingredients are as good for you as they are delicious. I won’t lie—I know next to nothing about cooking and nutrition, so when the restaurant’s chef came over to tell us a bit about the menu, a lot of what she explained went over my head. That being said, one ingredient The Elephant Walk doesn’t use really caught my attention: butter. Yes, you read that correctly. They don’t. Use. Butter. This surprised me when she said it, but I was infinitely more shocked as I moved through three courses, each richer than the last, no thanks to butter. I have to say, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I wouldn’t need a photo to remember the desserts I had that day; and considering the many wonderful French elements I tasted, the absence of butter kind of dethroned Julia Childe in my book. Kind of.

In other news, I also recently took a job moonlighting as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah party motivator/dancer (again, you read that correctly), which means I wake up pretty tired (and sore) on Sundays. On the morning of the blogger brunch, I was definitely excited to try some new dishes, but not in the mood to fuss over an outfit that would hold up amongst other fashion lovers. One of my recent posts discussed one possible comfortable outfit combination for the sleepy but stylish bruncher, but as temperatures finally rise, skinnies and a sweater might not cut it. Enter oversized, lightweight shirtdress. I’ll soon be able to combine my comments on the beloved shirtdress into a full-fledged love poem, but in short, the shirtdress is a classic and easy solution to looking chic. If you’ll visit this older Sauce post, or check out how Lazy Oaf styled this shirt themselves, you’ll see that an oxford or loafer and high socks are another sweet and simple way to make a statement with your shirtdress. Shirtdresses can also double as great beach coverups. Collect a few in fun(/funny) colors and prints, and you just might find choosing a mimosa flavor more challenging than getting dressed this summer.

This past Monday I attended the annual Boston Bloggers Meet & Greet at Audubonwith my kickass new crew of blogger friends. Between the drinks, the delicious snacks, and the infamous Danger Booth, everyone had a blast—and since the large majority of the group are female fashion bloggers, the event served as glorious evidence that the catty stigmas of fashion culture are so out. With that said, one still feels some pressure when dressing to impress a group of fellow fashionistas…

Unsurprisingly enough, I went to the event in my favorite silhouette: high-waisted bottoms and a cutaway crop top—and in my favorite color combination: plain old black and white. The skirt’s dramatic asymmetrical hem and the sweatery fabric of my summertime top bring new life to my go-to look, and I went with my bright blue Phillip Lim clutch and Jenny Bird collar necklace, courtesy of Rocksbox, to kick things up another notch. I chose a mint-turquoise shade of nail polish to offset the bag, and added a navy cocktail ring for good measure, also from Rocksbox. If you haven’t heard of Rocksbox, it’s basically like the Netflix of jewelry: with Rockbox, you can rent and try fabulous new jewelry by top trendsetting brands like Gorjana and House of Harlow, and you can purchase the pieces you love for discounted prices. All you have to do is fill out a quick but effective style survey, start keeping a wishlist, and expert stylists will send you three pieces per box in a prepaid envelope, so returns are no fuss. You can return and receive as many boxes as you want for just $19 a month, but you can also get your first month free by using the promo code FASHIONSAUCEXOXO.

As for the gorgeous polish, it’s by Somerville-based 365 Lacquer, a vegan and non-toxic polish company dedicated to making fun colors without harmful ingredients, and without testing on animals. I have to admit, I can be a bit calamitous (by which I mean careless), and have therefore stuck almost exclusively to gel manicures for the last two years, so I felt a bit wary of going back to regular polish. But 365 Lacquer promised a quick-drying, long-lasting product—and they weren’t lying. I’ll admit to a couple of chips within the first 48 hours, but they weren’t caused by faulty polish; so many consecutive gel manicures have left my nails in a slightly weakened state, but on my nails that have managed to stay strong, 365 Lacquer has stayed strong, as well. Plus, they just released a neon collection that’s sure to get you even more excited about summer.

One of my favorite things about dressing for this season is the way cheerful springy-summery prints and colors prompt me to create modern takes on retro styles. My paisley button-down, cuffed pants, platform loafers and matchy-matchy accessories all have a ’60s/’70s vibe, but details like the cropped cut of my blouse, stacked rings, and my oh-so-millennial “OMG”-embossed clutch bring the look up to date.